Variable Image Printing

Unique Way for Busineses, Graphic Designers to Expand Revenues

Graphic designers looking for ways to expand revenues while helping their clients do the same will find powerful possibilities in variable image printing, the next big technological step in personalized prospecting.

Variable image printing — including graphics and text intentionally changed from one piece to the next — creates compelling personalized marketing messages that go way beyond variable text. Availability of advanced, reasonably-priced digital printing technology enables creation, literally, of one-of-a-kind instead of one-size-fits-all packaging and promotional pieces.

Graphic designers can now make money advocating multiple image and messaging campaigns to their clients, and promoting the idea to prospects.

Variable image uses are limited only by the imagination. For starters, companies can create meaningful, highly personalized prospecting programs to attract new business. Imagine the novelty and impact of a truly customized piece in our mass-produced world (e.g., getting a bottle of wine with your picture, name and personalized message on the label).

State-of-the-art digital printers can pair product and packaging designs with a database containing desired recipients, and voila, a complete campaign is born! To market this concept to would-be clients, the savvy graphic designer can demonstrate it in his or her own prospecting efforts. For example, send a bottle of hot sauce to 50 prospects. Customize each with a label featuring the recipient’s photo, logo or other company identifier and a personalized message describing “hot and saucy designs” awaiting the prospects.

Figure a turnkey cost of $10.70—$6 for product, $4 for shipping, 70 cents for digital label printing, a total cost of $535. Add another $8.25 per item to send a good bottle of wine to the targeted prospect list—and still keep the total under $1,000.

What a great way to generate new business! First, the enterprising graphic designer gives the prospect a noteworthy way to build their revenues, then shows the process in action. Personalization options are myriad, especially in the packaging realm. Development of highly creative, individualized labels can become an entirely new design specialty. One company already jumping aboard the bandwagon is soft drink purveyor Jones Soda, a variable image pioneer. Walk into any supermarket stocking this quirky soda and you will see that every six pack features a different customer photo on the label. It’s now an integral part of their brand.

Following are ideas adaptable to just about any product:

• Create an Original Art Collection.

Using affordable original artwork created by a local artist or even original children’s finger paintings can be an intriguing approach. This type of offering could work well for purveyors of wine, cosmetics, specialty goods, et al. Each package is unique, while maintaining overall branding, giving it uniqueness in a retail environment.

• Use Digital Photos.

Digital photo use is exploding around the world. Online stock photography sites such as iStockPhoto.com have millions of photos available for licensing with packaging. Or, put a different twist on it. A coffee company, for example, could hold a contest for product purchasers to send in their photo and one-line explanation of why they consume this particular brand. Winners would have their photo and one-liner imprinted on coffee packages, and receive a prize. What a way to boost coffee sales!

• Get quotable.

Famous quotations are very popular. There are words of wisdom in many business publications but they rarely find their way to packaging. Fair use laws permit use of most famous quotations free of charge. A few hours of online research can garner a database of a hundred or more quotations. Then, the graphic designer just needs to allocate some space on the package and choose a font. With variable image technology, every label or package can have a different famous quotation (and graphic look, as desired).

• Tell a story.

Develop a series of one or two paragraph stories about the product. These could range from chronological events to customer accounts of product experiences.

Variable image printing offers graphic designers an exciting and expansive new marketplace—one that gives both the designer and client a way to stand out in a crowd.

At the same time, the total price tag can remain very reasonable. For example, the cost of a variable package labeling campaign can be tailored to myriad budget parameters. Even economically-challenged companies still may be able to develop a limited series of designs—perhaps a half-dozen reflecting key industries targeted by the company—and pair them with variable data messages. This industry-specific approach with individualized messaging achieves mid-range personalization while maintaining reasonable digital printing costs.

In contrast, companies with large budgets can get extremely focused with their imaging—and keep graphic designers happily occupied for quite some time. No matter the size of the challenge—or budget—variable image printing provides a new sales frontier for the graphic design community.